Bane of the Wolf
by ArdentShepherd11
Summary: War is brewing during Harry's sixth year. The odds stand against him and he will lose much. But will gain even more. Many surprises are in store as Harry tries to figure out how his life exploded and who is responsible for it. A Harry/Harem story eventually. Meddling Dumbledore.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Five years. Five hellish years. Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, the savior, the prat from Gryffindor, had against all odds survived five years in a school that had done everything in its power to kill the young man. Throughout his schooling he had faced an ogre, a crazed defense against the dark arts teacher, a basilisk, a "murderer," a dragon, and countless other threats. Simply put, Harry was extremely tired. Being forced to return to his muggle relatives did nothing to improve his mood.

So there he laid. Not really sure what to do with himself. He had lost one of the last remaining links to his parents. Over and over he saw Sirius falling through the Veil, and each time he felt more helpless than the last. Life wasn't fair. At least not to him.

Surrounding him was the remnants of a life not fully lived. Sirius' belongings were scattered around his room, unmoved for nearly three days. Of course, Harry wasn't supposed to be back with his relatives, but for safety's sake, Dumbledore demanded that Harry return to the Dursley's house. Harry hardly had the energy to fight as the last days passed like a blur.

Mail was beginning to pile at his window, and Hedwig's cage was beginning to smell. None of this seemed to bother the ailing boy, as his nightmares were relived repeatedly. Had it not been for his foolishness, no one would have been at the Ministry from the start. He felt like such a fool.

A loud rapping distracted him from his self-pity as he looked out the window to find two ginger haired boys floating just outside. Groaning, Harry rolled to his feet to open the window and let the Weasley twins in to his humble abode.

"Harry!" Fred exclaimed. Maybe it was George. Harry could never tell the difference. "Mummy dearest sent us to check on you. Some rabble about not responding to letters or some such rubbish," Forge said glancing at the growing pile of mail.

Harry rolled his eyes and laid back down. "Comon, Harry. I know you've had a rough go of it, but you have to get out of this funk you're in. It has been three weeks."

Snapping to attention, Harry looked confused. "What? It has barely been three days let alone three weeks."

The twins looked at one another and shared a look of compassion. "No mate, it has been 20 days. Ron was just released from the hospital and Hermione has started rehabilitation for her injuries. You don't look so good, my friend."

Harry glanced down, closing his eyes tightly. "It was my fault," he finally muttered as he made eye contact with the young men.

Words escaped the normally quick witted Weasleys as they just gave their hurting friend a hug. "What do you need, Harry?" Fred asked.

Honestly, Harry had no idea. He had thought about it for three weeks, apparently, and still had no idea what to do moving forward. Nothing had seemed to interest him. There was no motivation to get out of the funk that he was in. Looking at the mess around him, he at least had a thought. "I could use a hand tidying up. I've made a right mess of this place. I feel like nothing is going the way that it should. I'm almost sixteen and have failed more than most do in their entire life. I'm responsible for people getting killed and hurt. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"Look, Harry," George began, "we don't have any idea what you're going through and there is no way we could ever understand what you're going through, but your family and we'll do anything we can to help you through."

That being said, they began cleaning up Harry's small room. Would've been a lot easier with magic, but sadly, no one was of age yet. Seemed silly to Harry with the war looming. No one seemed to be aware just how dire things were. He feared it would take a disaster with hundreds dying before the Ministry finally took Volemort's return seriously.

Much of what was in the room wasn't even Harry's. He hadn't the chance to look through Sirius' belongings. All of it just made him want to cry. Boxes filled with heirlooms and papers that would take weeks to completely go through.

"Um, Harry?"

"Yea, George?"

"Any idea what this is?" he asked holding up a pouch with a paw print on its front. There seemed to be no opening on the vessel, but it felt quite warm to the touch.

Harry shrugged not having a clue what it was. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Fred looked over the box it came from. He pulled out a piece of paper and read it aloud, "This will keep you safe." Short. To the point. "Well that's hardly helpful."

George tossed the small pouch to Harry. Inspecting it, he put it around his neck and over his left shoulder. Not knowing what it was, but knowing it was Sirius' made him want to at least keep it close to him. "Most of this just looks like tax paperwork," Harry sighed. Was this small trinket really all he had of one of his heroes?

More digging and George produced a key. "You might want this, Harry. It's a Gringott's key."

The trio continued cleaning until it was all at least in a nice looking pile. Fred and George then left, ensuring Harry that they'd bring good news to their mother. At least maybe then she'd get off their backs. They weren't holding their breath.

Feeling a little better, Harry began leafing through the large pile of letters now neatly stacked on his desk. Notes upon notes from his friends asking if he was doing okay. Trying to make sure that he was eating. Speaking of, he hadn't eaten in a lot longer than he had thought previously. Leaving the final two letters on his desk, he retreated downstairs to at least scrounge for something. Looking at the clock hanging in the kitchen, it was three in the morning and his "family" was long asleep. Finding a sandwich, he poured himself a glass of water and returned to his cousin's second bedroom.

Took him less than three bites to finish the sandwich. He was a lot hungrier than he had thought. Closing his eyes again, he realized for the first time in three weeks, he wasn't reliving past nightmares. All he saw was the back of his eyelids. It was a welcome change.

The remaining envelopes on his desk were now staring directly at him. Picking up the first, he recognized it as Gringott's seal. It read as follows:

Mister Sirius Black –

Your request has been acknowledged and will be accomplished as closely to your wishes as possible. Mister Harry Potter will be in control of all of the Black assets and properties. We know that this is of great importance to you, especially with the recent demise of Lily and James Potter. Young master Potter will want for nothing.

Concerning the wills of the Potter Estate, they have given you custody of Harry Potter and control of all of their contracts, properties, and assets. Our deepest condolences to you as you deal with these changes in your life.

May fortune always be on your side!

Ragecrow

Harry couldn't fathom what he just read. Had it not been for Peter Pettigrew, Harry would've lived at least a more normal life with his godfather. Of course, that also made him curious why Sirius' will had taken so long to take effect. Hermione had led him to believe that prisoners in Azkaban were forced to surrender all of their belongings to their estate. Meaning that if they had a will, the effects would immediately go into effect.

The second letter was from a group called Carey, Blutt, and Hoswell. Opening it, he realized that it was Sirius' will. Quickly skimming the document, Harry came to the conclusion that there was no way he'd ever understand that legal mumbo jumbo. Not to mention that the packet looked to be close to fifty pages.

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit as Harry collapsed on his bed and passed out for seven hours.

Waking up at ten, Harry rubbed his eyes and got up. He took a quick shower, making sure to avoid his Uncle on his way out to work, and returned to his room. A stack of books from Sirius was stacked neatly next to his bed. He had no plans for the day, so he thumbed through the books. He guessed Hermione would wet herself if she ever found out that he was reading for fun. The image alone made Harry smile. The topics covered included finance, dueling, contracts, defensive magic, hand to hand combat, and fighting without a wand. It was far too much information to ever absorb in one day, but it proved to pique his interest in something that might actually help him to prevent losing any other people that he cared for. Hopefully it would be enough. He quietly thanked his godfather for everything he had done for him as he set aside the book and fell into his thoughts once again.

So many questions were pulsing through his mind. Why was he forced to stay with the Dursleys? He knew what Dumbledore had told him, but if he had a place to stay, which he had seen and knew was incredibly safe, why was he forced to stay with a family that was borderline abusive toward him. Also, if he had Gringotts promising that he'd be taken care of, why wasn't he? There was something preventing him from living the life that he should've been from the start. He didn't like where that line of thinking was going. He knew someone close to him had their hand in the pot in some way. Regardless, he had accomplished what the twins had wanted him to – he had figured out something to get him out of his funk. It gave him something to strive for and also allowed him a valve for his frustrations. This plan had been in place for sixteen years, so he doubted it would be any easier to get to the bottom of the issue. He still had a month until school started, so he presumed that he could at least get started on the massive riddle in front of him.

One thing was completely apparent to Harry, he needed to train. A war for the wizarding world would soon begin. He knew regardless of his wants, he would be firmly planted in the middle of it all. So be it.

Author's Note  
This is my first attempt to get back into the world of fanfic writing. I have many plans for this little story, but I'm setting it up to be an epic adventure romance. I don't know which girls will be involved or how they will get involved yet, just know that Dumbledore will not be a saint in this story. If you have any suggestions or tips for my writing or just ideas you'd like to see, I'd love to hear them.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Lily! Grab Harry. We're leaving," a panting James Potter said as he walked into their bedroom. "We've been betrayed." James furiously began packing up essential items and gathering things for his newborn son. He should've expected this. There were far too many moving pieces in this plan for there not to be collateral damage.

Rushing into the nursery, Lily picked up her still sleeping son. "It's all going to be alright, Harry. Daddy and I won't let anything happen to you."

There was a massive bang as the front door imploded into the living room downstairs. James ran to the top of the stairs to see three masked men walk into the room. Growling, James jumped into action. Whipping out his wand he began firing off cutters and pummeling spells. Jumping and dodging bright green spells as he fought for his life and the lives of those he loved. Death Eaters dropped around him leaving him with one. He recognized that voice. "Good evening, Lucius. Welcome to my home," James said sarcastically as he spat out blood. "Is that all you have?"

"Not even close."

Lucius and James dueled below as a scream was heard from above. Two other Death Eaters had entered from the second floor balcony and were now being dealt with by Lily. Hoping that his wife and son were safe, James had to concentrate or else he'd surely die to the accomplished duelist. A cutting spell met Lucius, incapacitating him. From nipple to nipple, Lucius was bleeding on the floor. James was making his way up the stairs when he heard a pop. Turning he saw the last thing he ever wanted. Lord Voldemort was standing in his foyer glaring up at the raven haired man. "Bring me your son," he demanded.

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged…"

As Voldemort took a step forward there was another distinct pop. "Good evening, Tom."

Harry was dripping of sweat. Having no workout equipment, he had to rely on push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. It had been four days since his meeting with the Weasley twins, and had made little to no progress on Sirius' belongings. He was too concentrated on getting in shape. He had read the first chapters of his dueling books and both said that physical prowess was more important than the skill or tools that would be taught thereafter. Luckily for Harry, the books were written in a time when weight rooms and gyms were not popular. Therefore he was able to use things he had around his room. He still wasn't even getting to half of what he should be accomplishing, but he felt good for the first time in a long time.

There was a rapping at the window as Harry began to towel himself off. Hedwig was waiting patiently to be let in. Opening the window, Hedwig hopped in. As he was about to close it, another owl flew in with a letter in tow.

Harry –

I have important business to attend to that I was hoping you could help me with. I have heard that you have not been feeling well and I think our trip would do you much good. We will be leaving at eight o'clock tonight.

Professor Dumbledore

Well that was awfully presumptuous. Harry rolled his eyes as he scribbled a response to his headmaster that simply said "No, busy." Giving it back to the owl, he sent her on her way and returned to his studies. He didn't need a distraction. He already had plenty of those. It would have been humorous had it not seemed that the headmaster wasn't even giving him a choice in the matter. Shaking his head, Harry went to clean up.

Returning to his room, he pulled on a clean pair of pants and a plain white shirt. Water was dripping from his still wet hair as he continued to shuffle through the remaining piles in the room. A shoe box was laying in front of him. Curiously, he opened the box to find a pile of photos. Harry smiled. Some were duplicates of pictures he already had, but seeing the smiling faces of his family and close friends gave him inspiration to keep fighting. He was going to do them proud or die trying.

Digging further, Harry found another box with more photos. A dagger. A hat? Sirius wore hats? Shrugging, he continued to search. Yet another pile with nothing of significance.

Hours passed and soon it was eight. With a pop, Dumbledore was standing in his room. "Good evening, Harry. Are you ready to go?"

"I told you, I'm not going. I appreciate the offer, but I have things I want to get done tonight."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked the young man. "I don't recall asking you, Harry."

Glaring at his headmaster, Harry grimaced, "I am not leaving this house. Whatever it is you need to get done, I'm sure you can accomplish it on your own." Or maybe not, he thought, looking back at all the incidents that had happened in prior years.

Surprised, Dumbledore looked at him carefully. "I'm looking to recruit a professor and your help would be appreciated. He built his reputation off of 'famous' students. Very good teacher, but also quite the social climber."

Sounded like a great teacher. Of course, after Quirrell and Lockhart, it obviously didn't take a whole lot to be hired as a teacher at Hogwarts. "I think you can handle it on your own, professor. I appreciate your concern, but I am doing fine."

Dumbledore obviously didn't want to leave without him, but also didn't want to implicitly impose is will upon the boy, either. His loyalty was still quite important. Paramount in defeating Voldemort. "Very well, Harry." Without any more conversation, the headmaster apparated out.

Harry was surprised. He didn't expect it to be that easy. Weirder things had happened, he supposed.

The next month passed rather quickly. Harry had started to see the changes to his body that the hard work had gotten him. He was packing up his room, preparing for the trip to Hogwarts, but didn't know what to do with the rest of Sirius' things. He hadn't gotten the opportunity to go shopping, nor had he been able to visit his vaults. Hoping that his family would leave it alone didn't seem like the smartest idea, but it seemed to be his only choice the way things stood.

Hearing the doorbell ring, he hurried downstairs to see Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks waiting for him. "Wotcher Harry!" she greeted. "Are you ready to get going?"

Nodding Harry led them upstairs. "Yea, I'm ready. I don't know what to do with the rest of Sirius' things though. I don't have room to put them with my school belongings."

"That's ok, Harry. Remus and I will take care of it all for you." With that, they began shrinking the piles and putting them in their pockets. Harry grabbed his trunk and was ready to go. "Did you have a good summer?" Remus finally asked.

"It was alright. I kept busy, that's for sure."

Looking him up and down, "I can tell," Tonks said approvingly.

Remus cast her a look before rolling his eyes and ushering them out the door. "Are you ready? I'll just apparate us to the train station."

Nodding, they grabbed ahold of the werewolf and held their breath. Harry wasn't a fan of apparition, but he knew it was a part of the world he lived in. Especially since he had no choice in the matter as of right now.

They were greeted at the train station by the Weasley family and Hermione Granger. Of course, Mrs. Weasley couldn't contain herself as she immediately smothered Harry. _Give me a break. I'm not a small child anymore. I can take care of myself._ Harry was starting to not enjoy the mother hen attitude of the Weasley matron. "Harry, dear. How are you feeling? You had me worried sick!"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. I promise." Small talk began as they waited for the portal to open at 9 ¾ . Mostly pleasantries. Hermione and Ron didn't really know how to talk to him anymore. They hadn't heard from him all summer even though they had written him numerous letters. Harry hadn't received any of them, but that was not known to any of them.

They said their goodbyes as the train was scheduled to arrive. Finding an open compartment, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the twins, all piled into one of the bigger compartments in the train. Harry could feel the warmth of the pouch up against his side as he idly held it. School seemed rather superfluous to Harry now, but he knew he had to at least go. He had nothing else to do, nor did he have the tools to fight this war if he wasn't in the friendly confines of Hogwarts.

"Hermione, how was your summer?" Harry finally asked to his friend sitting across from him.

"Fine," was her short answer as she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Harry was surprised by how short the answer was. Most of the time you couldn't get Hermione to shut up. "Just fine?"

"It's funny now that you suddenly care…"

"What?" Harry stood up and looked at his longtime friend. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Hermione responded, "We sent you letter after letter and you never responded. Not one of them."

"I swear I didn't get any of them. Ask Fred and George, they saw my pile of letters. They saw me this summer." Sadly the twins weren't in the compartment any longer so could not back up his story.

"Save it, prat." Ron said as he made to leave the compartment.

Harry made to block his way out, but was surprised when he ended up on his ass. Ron had just clocked him with a haymaker and walked out over his crumbled body. Hermione and Ginny made to help him up, but Harry swatted them away as he pushed himself to his feet. "What was that about?"

"I don't know. Ron never said he was angry or disappointed even. He kept saying to give you space." Ginny seemed legitimately confused by the actions of her brother. This wasn't out of character, but it was surprising that Harry was the target of his aggression.

Harry sat back down and closed his eyes. "Welp, this is going to be an interesting year."

No one thought it'd been prudent to talk to Harry who seemed to be mulling his thoughts over. They let him rest as they passed the rest of the ride in silence.

Author's Note

I hit some minor blocks, but I was able to piece together my story (since I couldn't sleep). The meat of the story won't begin to show itself until they arrive at Hogwarts. There's still a lot that needs to be set up before the action can begin. Please review and give me comments. I love hearing from my readers. Helps me to write. Thanks guys!


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